“The UK is believed to be the first country to paint post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins…”

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Apparently, double gold medal winning, and double world record breaking, Team Ireland Paralympian sprinter, Jason Smyth, would quite like a gold-painted post box in his home town of Eglinton.

According to an earlier Belfast Telegraph report, he would have the support of Dame Mary Peters and the Northern Ireland Sports Minister, Sinn Féin’s Carál Ní Chuilín. 

Although, the Derry Journal report notes that Jason Smyth, at least, was joking.

For Team GB competitors at London 2012, Royal Mail have issued a Gold Medal Winning Stamp for each individual or team Paralympic gold medal win, just as they did for each individual or team Olympic gold medal win, as well as painting a post box gold in the home towns of the gold medallists [wherever possible].  As the Royal Mail Group press release [24 July] noted

  • Some of Royal Mail’s much-loved red post boxes will turn gold this summer to celebrate every Team GB and ParalympicsGB gold medal win
  • The UK is believed to be the first country to paint post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins
  • The gold post boxes will be located in the home towns of the gold medallists wherever possible.  The transformation will happen within days of a gold medal win
  • This will be the first occasion in modern times when Royal Mail has changed the colour of its post boxes. Red has been the standard colour for UK boxes from 1874, with few exceptions

Still, they could always ask An Post…

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